Greece’s Ministry of Health has announced new measures aimed at improving efficiency in public hospital emergency departments, with the introduction of an electronic patient tracking system—nicknamed the “bracelet.”
Unveiled on July 30, the initiative is already being implemented in several of the country’s largest hospitals. Patients arriving at Emergency Departments (EDs) now receive a wristband with a unique QR code, which tracks their journey through the hospital in real time—from initial registration to medical examination and treatment.
Cutting Wait Times in Overburdened Hospitals
According to data presented by the Health Minister and senior officials, the system has already begun to streamline operations. In hospitals where the bracelet has been deployed—such as Evangelismos, Attikon, G. Gennimatas, and major children’s hospitals like “Agia Sofia”—the average time from arrival to completion of medical assessment and testing has dropped to approximately four hours.
The fastest service was recorded at the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, where the average time is 1 hour and 58 minutes, while the longest was at Evangelismos Hospital, reaching 5 hours and 16 minutes. Even in the busiest facilities, officials say the trend is moving toward shorter and more predictable wait times.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis emphasized that the goal is to continually improve monthly performance, particularly during overnight and weekend emergency shifts. The ministry aims to lower average waiting times even further in the most crowded hospitals, using the Scandinavian model as a benchmark—where the average emergency room visit lasts four hours.
“We are fully aware of the responsibility that comes with the trust of the Prime Minister and the Greek people,” said Georgiadis. “By the end of our term in 2027, we intend to hand over a vastly improved emergency care system.”
Long-Term Modernization Plans
The rollout of the electronic bracelet system is part of a wider effort to digitize and modernize public healthcare in Greece. Besides improving transparency and efficiency, the real-time tracking system allows healthcare staff to monitor bottlenecks, allocate resources more effectively, and ensure that patients are not left waiting unnecessarily.
While the project is still in its early stages, the Ministry has set a clear timeline for improvement. By June 2026, it expects average emergency department waiting times in Greece’s public hospitals to be shorter than those in Northern Europe.
